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Pakistan
3.3.1. The Educational Landscape of the Country
Pakistan’s educational system
Pakistan’s education system comprises of the following levels of education: pre-primary,
primary, middle elementary, secondary (& vocational) and higher-secondary (with all of these
levels comprising basic education) and post-secondary education. The National Education
Census (NEC) in 2005/2006 was the first educational census to be conducted in the country’s
history and provided a comprehensive overview of the system. According to the census, in
2005/2006, the entire education system was accommodating more than 36 million students,
and 95% of these were studying at the basic education levels. Almost 50% of the entire student
population in 2006 was studying at the primary level. According to more recent figures reported
in the Pakistan Education Statistics (2015-2016), the education system comprised more than
303,000 institutions and was facilitating more than 47 million children (as compared to 36
million 10 years ago) with the assistance of some 1,723,790 teachers through some 191,065
public institutions and 112,381 private institutions.
Pakistan’s history bears witness to rich educational reforms
In Pakistan, education became a devolved provincial subject following the 18th Amendment to
the Constitution in 2010. TheMinistry of Federal Education and Professional Training (MoFEPT)
together with provincial/area counterparts coordinates with international development
partners and provides an active platform for exchange of information and to create synergy,
synchronization and harmony. Each of the four provinces of the country after the 18
Amendment 2010 is responsible for making policies, curriculum, implementation and
allocations for education. Each province has been deliberating and finalizing their enactment for
implementing article 25-A, along with Education Sector Plans to address the challenges of
access, equity and quality. To date, ICT, Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan have passed Compulsory
and Free Education Acts. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has drafted the bill andwill be presenting it soon.
In Pakistan’s recent education history of the last two decades, 1998 is a milestone year when a
new National Education Policy (NEP) was approved, and Social Action Plan (SAP) II started to
wind up. SAP was designed by donors and government in 1990-91 to improve social indicators,
including education. Education policies, sector reforms, action plans in Pakistan, from the late
1990s to 2017 can be clearly divided into three distinct eras: i) 1998 - 2008; 2) 2009-2014 and
iii) 2015 onwards - These periods coincide with major shifts in education and political landscape
at national, provincial and global levels.
1998-2008 is a decade of transitions and major landmarks. This period has to its credit end
of the Social Action Plan (SAP) II) resulting in lowering of social and education indicators,
finalization of two National Education Policies (NEP) of 1998 and 2009 (completed in 2008 and
signed by the Cabinet in 2009), sector wide Education Sector Reforms (ESR) Action Plan 2001-
2005 with innovations including reform of the education foundations in each province, issuance
of first PPP guidelines, early childhood education (ECE) extended to the entire country backed
by federal grants and major revamping of higher education and TVET. An era of political shifts
from 1999 to 2008, experiments in Local Government/devolution to the district level, roll out of
a nationwide Poverty Reduction Strategy Programs/Papers I and II accompanied by social safety
nets amidst unprecedented earthquakes (2005), and escalating extremism and vulnerability.